At a railroad crossing, what should you do if the signals indicate you must stop?

• A. Proceed slowly and watch for trains.
• B. Ignore the signals if no gate is present.
• C. Stop if required by signals; proceed only when the crossing is clear and safe.
• D. The crossing is always safe to cross.

Answer: (C)

When signals tell you to stop at a railroad crossing, you must come to a complete stop and wait until the crossing is clearly safe to cross. Trains can be closer and faster than they seem, and they can’t stop quickly. Stop behind the stop line or a safe distance from the rails, wait for the red lights to stop flashing and the gates to rise, then look both ways and proceed only when the crossing is fully clear. Never ignore the signals or assume it’s safe to cross just because a gate isn’t down for long.